


Thousand Years

by stories11



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-13
Updated: 2013-03-13
Packaged: 2017-12-05 05:37:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/719473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stories11/pseuds/stories11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snapshots of The Spine's relationship with Walter Girl Brianna</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thousand Years

Thousand Years

He feels a hitch in his systems when he sees her for the first time, if he had a heart, it would've skipped a beat. The way she moves and talks entrances him.

Her name is Brianna. He watches with interest as she moves about the room, introducing herself to each family member in turn, before turning to the silver automaton with a light smile, extending a hand.

"Hello." Her melodious voice chimes softly. "I'm Walter Girl B, but you can call me Brianna, if you like."

He takes her hand gently, "Hello, Miss Brianna. I'm The Spine, welcome to the Walter Manor."

She flashes him a smile before moving on to continue her introductions.

He feels a warm in his boiler that's unfamiliar to him, something unrelated to his systems. Strange, he thinks to himself, I'll have to have that checked out later.

...........

It was months before Peter understood what was happening. "You like her don't you?"

The Spine looks at him with confusion. "Like who?"

"Brianna. She's very beautiful, and smart as well. It's no wonder you're falling for her."

"I'm not 'falling' for anyone. I merely appreciate Miss Brianna, and all she does for us."

"Does she know yet?"

"No, and I have no plans to tell her."

"You should, she likes you too." Peter leaves The Spine to think.

...............

He doesn't gain the nerve to tell her for several more months. He sits on top of the repair room table, deliberating whether or not he should tell her.

He is only there for routine maintenance, a regular habit he had gone from tolerating to enjoying when Brianna had taken over. She enters the room a few moments later with a bright smile. "Hi, Spine, how are you today?"

"I'm doing well, Miss Brianna. And yourself?"

She smiles and laughs. "I'm fine, how many times do I have to tell you, we've known each other for months, it's just Brianna."

He gives a nervous smile and nods. After about an hour Brianna is almost finished with the maintenance check. The Spine shifts nervously in place. "Miss Brianna, there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while now."

"You can ask me on one condition, stop calling me miss." She gives him a smile.

He nods slightly, thinking his words through carefully before saying them. "Brianna, in these past few months, I feel like we've gotten to know each other rather well. I've been enjoying the time we spend together, and I'd like to ask... Would you like to go dancing with me this Saturday?"

Brianna seems frozen for a moment, trying to comprehend what he said before swallowing slightly and asking, "Spine.... Are you asking me out....... on a date?"

The Spine pauses for a moment, before answering, "Yes I suppose I am. I understand if you reject my offer, I'm only an automaton, I couldn't..."

He's cut off as she moves forward, suddenly pressing her lips to his. He's taken by surprise, but kisses her back softly. When she pulls back she looks deep into his eyes, "You are not 'only an automaton'. Don't you ever think that." She kisses him one more time before pulling away and saying, "I would love to go dancing with you," and scurrying out of the room.

The Spine stays seated on the table for a few moments, smiling, happily surprised by her response.

.............

After their date Brianna and The Spine came home, she was about to kiss him good night and retreat to her room when he stopped her.

"I'd like to show you something... If I may." He says softly, careful not to be too loud, lest he wake the sleeping residents, as he holds a hand out to her.

Brianna smiles and takes his hand, as he leads her up what feels like a million stairs.

"We're almost there." He says, noticing her fatigue. She nods and follows as he leads her to the center of a room. He reaches up, pulling on a hidden panel, releasing a small ladder as the cool nit air pushes in from the opening in the ceiling. "This is it, I promise."

Brianna nods, and climbs the ladder, taking a step out onto the roof with wide eyes, as the night sky unfolds before her, dotted with stars that sparkled like diamonds.

The Spine comes onto the roof, closing the opening behind them. He sits down on a blanket he had set out earlier on, and motions her to sit next to him. She sits next to the silver bot, curling into his side, and smiling as he wraps a protective arm around her.

"They have names, you know..." He says, his deep voice soft and rumbling like thunder. "The stars." He clarifies, seeing her confusion. He raises an arm, pointing to the different stars that spot the sky.

She watches intently as the stars above come to life with stories and pictures, unknowingly she entertained her hand with the one draped on her shoulder. She looks up at him, his silver face shining softly in the moonlight, his glowing green eyes still pointed up at the stars. She leans up, kissing him on the cheek before curling back into his side, and sleepily asking, "Sing for me?"

The Spine thinks for a moment, before choosing a song. "There, out in the darkness. A fugitive running, fallen from God, fallen from grace..." He croons softly, not the most romantic song in the world, but beautiful and perfect none the less.

By the time he finishes the song she is sound asleep against his side. He considers moving her to her bed, but the moment he shifts she curls closer into his side, muttering softly in her sleep. He stays put, looking up at the stars and listening to the soft sounds of her breathing. He turns up his boiler slightly, letting it ward off the cold of the night.

He plants a gentle kiss on the top of her head, realizing something. I love her, he thinks, wondering if it is even possible. He shakes the thoughts from his mind, tonight was not the night for this. He keeps his arm around her, looking up at the stars and humming softly, keeping watch in the night.

..............

Months, and many dates later, The Spine sits in an oversized recliner, reading. It's near 3 in the morning, and the house is finally quiet.

Brianna's comes into the room, crying softly, her hair still tousled from sleep, she doesn't see The Spine as she walks past.

He sets his book on the table beside him p, carefully marking his page. "Brianna, are you alright?" He asks with concern.

She turns around and sees him suddenly. "I'm sorry, Spine, I didn't know you we're here, I just.... I should go." She turns to leave, but The Spine stands, catching her wrist gently.

"What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare...." She says quietly.

He pulls her close and holds her. "It's all okay now." He pauses for a moment, "do you want to talk about it?"

She looks up at him with red rimmed eyes, obviously upset. "I had a nightmare that you were gone, and I couldn't find you anywhere." She hugs him tightly. "I called your name, and you never answered because you weren't there and I was looking for you everywhere..."

The Spine scoops her up, into his arms as easily as if she was a small child. He sits back down in the recliner, settling Brianna in his lap, and holding her close to his chest. He strokes a gentle hand through her hair and murmurs to her, "I'm here now Brianna, and I'm not going anywhere."

She snuggles in closer to him, nestling her head into his neck and shoulder, "I love you," she says for the first time.

"I love you too," He returns easily, knowing that he is speaking the truth.

She gives a soft contented sigh as she slips back into a peaceful sleep, still curled in his lap.

..............

He comes up behind her as she's cooking. He wraps his arms around her waist and leans down to kiss her on the cheek.

"Hey." She says with a smile, tipping her head back to look up into his eyes.

"Hello."

She leans back into his embrace and says, "I'm supposed to be cooking right now."

He reaches to the stove, and turns it off. "It can wait for a few moments." He suddenly spins her around to face him, holding her tight. "I have something to ask you."

"And what would that be?"

He releases her and steps back. "We've known each other for several years now, and you make me very happy."

"You make me happy too Spine." She says with a broad smile.

He smiles at her statement. "I love you, Brianna, and I could never lose you." He sinks to one knee,pulling a small black box out of seemingly nowhere. "Brianna, will you marry me?"

Brianna stands, just staring at the box for a moment. Before she runs forward, closing the gap between them in a single stride. She ignores the box, wrapping her arms around his neck, crying as she says, "Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes." She pulls back just long enough to allow him to slide the ring on her finger.

"I love you, Brianna."

"I love you too."

............

The Spine stands at the end of a long aisle, more nervous than he had ever been before. Rabbit, Hatchworth, and Peter VI stand with him as his groomsmen. Paige, Michael, and a few others stand across the way as bridesmaids.

He can hear Steve cuing the bridal chorus as he watches the doorway, waiting for her to emerge. He lets out a small gasp as she steps into the light, her dress is a pale blue, that almost seems to glow against her porcelain skin, her dark hair and eyes are obscured by a thin veil. She seems to almost float rather than walk towards him, and he forces down the steam that threatens to escape.

When she gets close he holds out a hand to her, assist her in taking the final steps. He is silent, barely noticing the rest of the ceremony until it was time to say his vows. "I love you, Brianna. I always have, and I always will. I promise to keep you safe, and to chase away the nightmares. I will never let anything hurt you, and I will never let anything come between us, and even if I have to wait a thousand years, I will always be here for you."

"Spine, I have loved you since the day we first met. I remember, the way I felt after our first kiss, and hoping I wouldn't wake up and find out it was all just a dream. The way you've cared for me, and loved me through these years together.... These have been the happiest of my life. I look forward to many more to come, you'll never have to wait a thousand years for me, I'm already yours."

"Do you, The Spine Walter, take Brianna Clawson to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"Do you, Brianna Clawson, take The Spine Walter, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"You may now kiss the bride."

The Spine reaches forward, carefully lifting her veil before placing his arms around her waist, and pulLing her into their first kiss as a married couple.

............

Many years passed and as Brianna got older his love for her never wavered. He sat with her in her bedroom one day, and something inside him knew it would be the last time he would see her again. "I love you so much Brianna." He says to her softly.

She reaches out to him with a weathered hand, gently touching his cheek plate, knowing the end way near. "I know you do, and I love you too."

He sits on the bed beside her, holding her hands, he could see in her bright eyes just how tired she was, even as the years passed he could still see the young woman he had fallen in love with shining through. He leaned down and kissed her for the last time. "I'll never love another, not in a thousand years."

She gives a small smile and shakes her head, "I want you to be happy, live, love, remember me, but not so much that you stop living. I'll love you forever Spine, and I'll wait for you on the other side."

He nods softly, kissing her on the forehead as her eyelids began to droop. "Good night, Brianna." He says softly, tears welling behind his eyes.

"Good night Spine...." She says softly as she closes her eyes, and her heart stops beating.


End file.
